Contemporary Dance in Cuba: Tecnica Cubana as Revolutionary Movement

Description

The lens of dance can provide a multifaceted view of the present-day Cuban experience. Cuban contemporary dance, or tecnica cubana as it is known throughout Latin America, is a highly evolved hybrid of ballet, North American modern dance, Afro-Cuban tradition, flamenco and Cuban nightclub cabaret. Unlike most dance forms, tecnica was created intentionally with government backing. For Cuba, a dancing country, it was natural--and highly effective--for the Revolutionary regime to link national image with the visceral power of dance. Written by a dancer who traveled and worked in Cuba from the 1970s to the present, this book provides an inside look at daily life in Cuba. From watching the great Alicia Alonso, to describing the economic trials of the 1990s ""Special Period,"" the author uses history, humor, personal experience, rich description and extensive interviews to reveal contemporary life and dance in Cuba.

About Author

Suki John has published articles in the New York Times, Four Seasons Magazine, Village Voice, Dance Magazine, Pointe, Ballet-tanz International, The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Dance, Caribbean Dance, and Dance Research Journal. She has choreographed for Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Compa ia Narciso Medina, People's Yugoslav Theater, Danza Contempor nea de Cuba, Ritmo Flamenco, The 92nd St. Y, DIA Foundation, and The Culture Project. She is an associate professor in the School for Classical & Contemporary Dance, Texas Christian University.